ALAS Pilipinas Girls closed out a historic campaign with a victory that secured the Philippines’ best-ever finish in an FIVB World Championship.
The young Philippine side rallied past Czechia, 21-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-22, on Sunday to finish 15th in the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship, surpassing the previous national best of 19th place set by Alas Men last year.
READ: Young Alas duo Progella, Pagara stun 'SiPons' for Busan gold
Czechia claimed the opening set, but the Philippines quickly turned the match around by taking the next three frames, including a dominant third-set showing that put Alas firmly in control.
Caera Celis delivered her finest performance of the tournament at the perfect time, leading all scorers with 25 points on 20 attacks, four aces, and one block.
Jhaynna Bulandres also came through with a monster showing at the net, producing 15 points on eight attacks and a whopping six blocks, while adding one ace.
The victory capped a nine-game stretch that saw Alas Pilipinas Girls post three wins, beating Mexico, Tunisia, and Czechia, while suffering six defeats throughout their World Championship debut campaign.
And after battling through nine games on the world stage, they found the right response when it mattered most, turning an early setback into a milestone win and a record-setting 15th-place finish.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
